Publication Type
PhD Dissertation
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
5-2024
Abstract
Sexual unrestrictedness, impulsivity, and seeking immediate gratification—these traits generally carry negative connotations and tend to be frowned upon. However, are they necessarily maladaptive? Evolutionary psychologists map these traits onto a behavioural cluster known as a fast life strategy. While a wide body of work has examined many types of prejudices (e.g., sexism, ageism, racism, classism, attractiveness bias etc.) the literature has yet to examine prejudices against people who display behaviours that lie on the life history strategy continuum. I propose that in our modern world where life is relatively predictable and mortality rates are lower than in ancestral times, there exists a general negative bias towards fast (versus slow) life strategy traits (H1). Further, I expect that this bias would be attenuated by perceptions of ecological harshness (i.e., mortality threats) (H2) because a fast strategy offers adaptive value under conditions of threat. I test these hypotheses across several studies (total N ~ 1500 participants from the USA). Study 1 assesses affective reactions that people have towards targets described as a fast (vs slow) life strategist. Study 2 provides a high-powered replication while examining an exploratory mediator, net perceived affordance. Study 3 manipulates both ecology perceptions and the life strategy of the evaluated target. The results generally support our hypotheses that people hold unfavourable views toward fast (versus slow) strategy behaviours, and that this can be mitigated by ecology perceptions.
Keywords
life history strategy, prejudice, ecology, mortality threats, affordance management theory
Degree Awarded
PhD in Psychology
Discipline
Demography, Population, and Ecology | Social Psychology and Interaction
Supervisor(s)
TAN, Yu-Yang Kenneth (CHEN Yuyang Kenneth); LI, Norman Pin Cheng
First Page
1
Last Page
81
Publisher
Singapore Management University
City or Country
Singapore
Citation
TAN, Kai Lin Lynn.
Is this behavior impressive or repulsive? The influence of our ecology on our social evaluations. (2024). 1-81.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/etd_coll/563
Copyright Owner and License
Author
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.